Gymnastic apparatus



. 1,621,477 J. PILATES l GYMNASTIC APPARATUS Filed Aug. 24. 1925 Patented Mar. 15V, 17927. j

y JoE-rILArEsf onHAMBnRQ. GERMANY.

GYMNASTIQYAPBARATUSS" Application filed-augurali, -lsaaseria'i N Gymnastic 1' or -remedifali apparatus;` for*` physical exerciseare well'knownand ingen-y i eral"us`e:[Such apparatus fis often designed-'1 toV enable the'uservto V"developgparti'culars;

5 muscles or remedyVN particular I rdefects-zwby;

simulating the effects `obtained-by partaks- Y Y inginvarious sportsfsuch' as rowinggrcycling an'dztheA lil{e.*- Apparatus, of this charaeter however; isgenerally '-openf to fithe obj ection f that itis notfwelll?adaptedforiuse-'ffin'ires.

stricted space such'as livingl roomsglfsince ae considerable-f'amountiof space lhasf'ztof rbe set furtherjobjection to su'chappar-'attimi si thatl 15 it isnotgenerally adapted for fuse?byithose.i

suffering from; particular ailments vor disar-.4 bilitieswhich necessitate gtheir-maintainingfa..1 Y recumbentA position or-which result-@ini amen-rz feeblement; of thele'gs;I as ltor-iinstance':vveaks f he" present-"invention isf particularly de-w' as those'in `vigarous-1health and Vfor thatfpure': 'L pose @themaehi'ne comprises a@ supporting;` member or Vcarriage adaptedf'to receiwesthez user inl 1a recumbentfrpositi'omm The@ appara-ri tu's'*is"also-tted"with anllabutmentror press.:`A

3 sure "'ba'r: which V@may be A"employed .i by. fth'oseff sufferingfrom3weakenedffarch'es: The appaei ratus mayalsoybe used by lthoserliavingaomer-.- sound"leg=only.-* In ,the accompan 4'ng :drawingsfin which the 'inventionis merely diagrammatically illustrated.

Figure 1 is` a side elevation of one form of apparatus.

Fig'. 2 is a cross sect of Fig. 3. Y

Fig. 3 Vis a plan view ofthe apparatus shown in Fig. l. It is tobe understood that .he drawings are intendedby way of example only and are not in any way intended to be a restrictive embodiment of theinvention the 'scope of which is defined in the appended claims. Y Y YThe apparatus of my invention comprises in its broadest aspect a movable supporting member or carriage b adapted to receivethe user in a recumbent position and to be moved by him against the effort exercised by any. suitable resistance members, shown in theV drawings as comprising. a weight e attached to the carriage b by the cord d and passing over a pulley f. The carriage by is preferion on thelines A-"B sin' a :,recumbent @position and: .providedlwitliI .-traveling-,carriageV is -proyided'@withgshou, y derf-.pieces andA head rest JL.; `The. abutment musclesof the thighs, trunk, shoulders and ably nprovide'da with" :antifriction: means.- of: Y. any1-suitable characterwsuchfas wheels run-l ning on tracks a, though; oi-coursebe-.these .wheeled marriage couldV be employedpwithout 60 Vsuclrtraclrsz- I have: found; thatlfa fveryficon- I evenient giorni :of vthe-'apparatusiis that gillussfy tratedi'fmwhich indicates:aislidingncarfe-i Y riage of aj' 'length 'adapted :to2-receive Ethe user, 2.,

wheels :runningl on y -a track 5a.. elevated L fat., siih'cieuti;fclistanceifrom:the groundato 'allowf foizthecaferticalvmvementsCotthe-resistanc i Weightrie.:y Ani-:abutment ,member vided .supportednfbfy41V the suprig member z ori-v thrust-bar is .preferably adjust. able on the'upright c and of a widthllsu'chQj thati only fthe.; middle-part- `ofthefootcbeaiis 75 therea-gainstf-` thus .fr-enabling sufferers y. from;A

.. Weakenedffarches.- ftofuse ,the .f apparatus. i.

will'` of y coursel beevident that the sapparatus.v may; be"constructed'y in. a variety ,of ways..y for instance in? general( character'. fofy fa couch.: S0 thewslidfi-ng,Y carriage:l running... on thel sidef members thereof. landr the: necessary.. resistef` ance beings a-fordedfbysprings.. or .other elasticA fmembers; y:arranged between .said ."carl riageand the-,endao theframe: y

It isi belieued-.that themethod of 'employ-g ingqithe Japparpatus .will be readilyv under!Y stood. Theuser takesupa :recumbent lposi'-v tion, on., the-f movable# ...carriage with. his shoulders1-againstlathef.piecesl g, latter" Vhaving previously-.yl .adjustedfqthe .g apparatus l to his.;4 height, and the Weight e 'to give the'desiredH resistance ;l `allowing-his legs to lex,`the car-`A riage will be drawn by the weight to one extremityr of the frame whereupon by straightening his legs the carriage will be forced toward the other endV of the frame. These movements strongly exercise the neck without. however,l imposing undue 10o strain upon the back muscles or arches of thevfeet. p l l For, especially Vvigorous exercise it may be desirable to Y provide grips or holds 7c shown in Fig. 3, though' for normal use the exercise afforded by my apparatus is lof a particularly gentlethough vvery beneficial character. v

I claim: K Y l. Gymnastic apparatus comprising a substantially horizontal carriage Vmounted for movement inl a linear direction and of a fc5 Y cunibent position,

length sufficient to afford support to the back and shoulders of the userwhen in resaid carriage being mounted for movement in a linear direction, an abutment positioned toward one end of the upper surface of the carriage and projecting therefrom sufficiently to engage against the shoulders of the user and resistance ,means arranged 'between said carriage and a Vfixed point and acting to oppose movement of said carriage. y

2. Gymnasltic apparatus comprising a substantially horizontal carriage of a length suicient `to afford support to the back and shoulders of theuser when in recumbent position, said carriage being mounted, for

movement in'a linear direction, anti-friction means Varranged Vbetween said carriage and the surface on which said carriage rests, an abutment positioned toward one end of the upper surface of the carriage and projecting therefrom sufficiently to engage against the shoulders ofthe-user and resistance means arrangedy between said carriage'and a fixed point and acting to oppose movement of said carriage. f

3. Gymnastic apparatus comprising a car riage or support of 'a length sufficient to afford support tothe back and shoulders of the user when in' recumbent position said carriage being mounted formovement in a linear direction, a track or runway acting to guide said carriage in its linear movement,

an abutment positioned toward one end ofv theV upper surface of the carriage and projecting therefrom` sufficiently to engage against the shoulders of the user and v resist-ance means.v arranged between said carriage and a fixed point and acting to oppose movement of said carriage. f

4. Gymnastic apparatus comprising a carriage or support of `a length suicient to afford support to the back and shoulders of the `uscr when in recumbent position said carriage being mounted for movement inv a linear direction, and resistance means arranged between said carriage and a fixed ooint and acting to o aose movement of a Pl said carriage, an abutment positioned toward one end of the upper surface of the carriage and projecting therefrom sufficiently to engage against the shoulders of the user, and a foot rest or abutment against which the user may exert pressure by straightening his legsfrom a bent position thereby moving 'said carriage away from said abutment. Y

5. vGymnastic apparatus as claimed in Claim 5, in which said abutment is of such a width that the user can bear against the abutment'with the middle portion only of the foot, or of the toe or heel only.

6. Gymnastic apparatus comprising a earriage or support of a length sufficient to afford support to the back and shoulders of the user when in recumbent position ksaid carriage being mounted for movement in a linear direction, and resistance means Var# ranged between said carriage anda fiXed pointV 'and acting to oppose movementof said carriage, an` abutment positioned toward one end of the upper surfaceV of the said abutment.

ln testimony whereof I have signedjmy name to this specification. v

' OE VPILATES. 

